Punjab Diary: Action, reaction of Bhagwant’s gesture

Capturing the video of the security checks and also of the question selection system for Zero Hour inside the Parliament, which he further made viral through social networking, AAP’s Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann has rocked the national politics. The regional as well as the national media, is behind Mann for the past three days for his quotes and bytes to make out his mind behind doing so as this is what people strongly want to know through newspapers and channels these days. To a fact, this noted comedian-turned-politician has done his job whether intentionally or unintentionally.

No doubt the action came with immediate reaction and it also caused little discomfort to him as numerous parliamentarians stood against him and the hullabaloo rocked both the houses, still none can deny that he hogged enormous limelight without investing anything. In the past three days, many abused Mann for leaking the security arrangements of the ‘Temple of Indian Democracy’. Few among them also went ahead with launching a campaign against him stating that such ‘highly irresponsible’ action could be expected from a ‘tipsy’ Mann only. Notably, Mann who was initially firm over his stand that he did nothing wrong also mellowed down after realising the Parliament was rocked over the issue and majority stood against him but he was still not convinced if he actually committed a blunder.

As summoned by the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, he tendered unconditional apology to her but the rivals were not ready to let the issue go without scoring. Many of the MPs also sought his suspension but nothing has happenned till date. Amid the row over him filming the high-security Parliament House complex, his party on Friday defended the lawmaker, saying Mann was only trying to ‘show’ the procedure of asking questions which did not amount to security breach, which came as a breather for him. Meanwhile, away from this all noisy affair a separate campaign ensued two days back which silently started reshaping the mindset of general public that too in an effective manner. It was like, “Mann didn’t commit any blunder. He simply exposed the chinks in the security system of the parliament.

Had there been so tight security, Mann would not have been able to videograph each and everything in such a detail that too when it was all in the notice of parliamentarian staff as they were seen smiling looking in the mobile camera.” “Though unintentional, it exposed that there was hardly any physical check on the lawmakers entering Parliament. After going through his video, the security agencies must beef up the arrangements,” is a further opinion being instilled in the minds of the commoners. Now after observing the things happening, the political observers are also busy in analysing the action and reaction of Bhagwant’s gesture. They are taking time as it is not so straight at this point of time to come up with an observation whether the controversy he raked went against him (as the general perception is) or it actually favoured Bhagwant for drawing the national attention towards an issue with also getting personally highlighted without committing a mistake that is unpardonable.